Acceptance
by iheartgod175
Summary: Many wonder just what Master Hand was thinking when he extended an invitation to the Duck Hunt Duo of all fighters. After all, many people hate the dog, and the game they come from isn't well known by modern players. Even the Smashers were curious, but only Mario dared to go forward and ask. What he discovers may change his perception on the duo. Rated T for animal cruelty.


**A/N: **Before I start, I must thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for giving me the idea for this story. Without His influence, I know for certain I wouldn't have gotten this story done. I give you the honor and the thanks, Father, right now, in Jesus' name. Amen!

Hello, people of the Smash Brothers community! It is iheartgod175, here with a very long one-shot.

Opinions on the Duck Hunt Duo (or Duck Hunt Dog, but I prefer calling them Duck Hunt Duo, since there are two of them) are divided into two camps. The first camp finds him adorable and would love to main him in order to troll people or because his moveset is pretty cool. The second camp still hates his guts for laughing at them from his home game and want to beat the tar out of him for some kind of justice. Well, I'm in the first camp, and over the weekend I came up with a story explaining how Duck Hunt got into Super Smash. It took me a whole week and I couldn't work on my other stories because this idea was running in my head.

I know one person did an _adorable_ comic where he adopted a baby duckling after his master killed its parents and later they were chosen for Smash, but I (and many others) realized this was about their bond, not much about how they got in. Frustrated at the people constantly wanting to beat him up for laughing at them (which I'm sure every friend has done), I had this idea for a darker story for why the Duck Hunt dog came into SSB4. You'll also find out why he laughs, and why he has a duck as his fighting partner, even though he's a hunting dog. I won't tell, though. That would be spoiling.

I must put up a warning, though. I was not saying that this one-shot has animal cruelty in it for fun. There are also copious amounts of blood and violence. If that is not your thing, just don't read it, and certainly don't attack me for it. If that's right up your alley, or if you want to see the dog get his "just desserts", keep reading.

I hope you enjoy the story!

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><p><strong>Story Title:<br>**Acceptance

**Tags: **Drama/Hurt/Comfort

**Rating: **T (Animal cruelty and violence await. You have been warned.)

**Summary: **The competitors at the new Super Smash Brothers Tournament have a problem, and that's the Duck Hunt Duo. It's not because they replaced the Ice Climbers this year, although their presence was missed. It's mostly because of the fact that the dog, the main half of the team, was loathed by nearly everybody, and everyone has tried to shoot him countless times. Every Smasher wants to ask Master Hand what's up with the dog's appearance, but only Mario was brave enough to do it. What he learns may change his perception of the two. My first ever Smash fic, and focuses on the Duck Hunt Duo.

**Disclaimer: **It should be obvious, but I'm not Masahiro Sakurai, the creator of Smash Brothers, so I don't own it. It's a real shame, though...

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><p><strong>Acceptance<strong>

Mario took a deep breath as he raised his hand to knock on the doors. Now was not the time to get cold feet. It was time to confront the Master himself and get this off his chest.

After all, he was the only one out of all the Smashers who bothered to ask. Everyone else was terrified of Master Hand now, considering that he'd revealed his Master Core form to them in the middle of the tournament. Even Kirby, who'd apparently fought things like Master Core before, was freaked out. Mario personally didn't see what made him scary.

Okay, he'd admit that he found Master Core _disturbing, _and that he almost wet his pants seeing the Hand of Creation exploded into that black swarm . But he knew that Master Hand was still his same old self under that. Master Hand was always looking to create a challenge for the fighters, though the mustachioed plumber was sure nobody was ready for that challenge.

His gloved hand steady, he knocked on the door with confidence, and waited for the doors to slide open. True to his word, the doors opened, and confronting him were several galaxies and star systems, all seeming to be just within reach. But Mario knew better. Having traveled the cosmos twice, he knew that it would take lightyears to reach even one of those star systems without a Star Gate.

_"__Come in," _a low voice rumbled.

Mario stepped into the Final Destination, which was, as always, more elaborate than the last design. He landed on the platform with a stomp, and came face to face with the appendage that controlled everything in the universe, including his own.

Master Hand appeared to be in the middle of creating something when Mario walked in. The Hand of Creation turned and said, _"Ah, Mario. I hadn't expected you to come in so early. Are you prepared for the tournament?"_

"Yes, I am," Mario replied. "It's looking to be bigger and better than last year, as the Subspace had ruined everything."

_"__I regret that Tabuu had to come and ruin everything. Then again, the Subspace Emissary can be blamed on Crazy Hand. He is the one who started that blasted conflict in the first place," _Master Hand said. A crash of thunder could be heard above Mario's head. _"It would be most unwise… if you continue to bring that up, Mario."_

"Duly noted," Mario said.

_"__I have the feeling that you did not come in here to bring up bad memories, Mario. You came to ask something."_

"Mama mia," he muttered. "How do you know these things?"

_"__I am the Master Hand. I notice everything," _the large appendage said. _"So, are you going to ask your question, or are you going to continue to waste my time?"_

Mario sighed. "Since nobody else bothered to ask you, Master Hand, I'll ask. Why exactly did the Duck Hunt duo get in?" he asked.

There was silence for a long moment, and the only thing Mario could hear was the whoosh of the wind. Then, Master Hand began to convulse wildly, and Mario took a step back, prepared to defend himself. Master Hand, while considering himself to be more composed than Crazy Hand, was sometimes unpredictable, and could get angry at the slightest offense.

_"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"_ The laughter that came from Master Hand almost blew Mario back due to the force and volume of it. _"Everyone in Smash Mansion asked me that once. I never thought you would, Mario."_

Mario, a bit shocked by Master Hand's change of mood, barely regained his composure. He straightened his cap, cleared his throat, and began with,"Well, when we got the news that the two were replacing the Ice Climbers, we were pretty surprised. We'd barely heard of him."

_"If I recall correctly, you reacted almost the same way when I announced the Ice Climbers were coming in Melee."_

"But this is different. Everyone had a chance to get used to him. But barely anyone knows about this dog. Only older generation tourneys know. Most of what I know of him comes from the Internet. Everybody hates him."

_"__Have the other Smashers shown him any animosity?" _Master Hand asked.

"Well, not really. He's mostly harmless, even playful. The only thing that's annoying about him, though, is his laugh," Mario replied. "I think that dog puts the term 'man's best friend' to shame."

_"__I was hoping you of all people would be able to accept him, Mario, seeing as you've accepted nearly everyone else," _Master Hand pointed out.

"Well…it kind of makes it hard to accept him when he's taunting me with that laugh every time he hits me," Mario grumbled.

_"__True…that is one old habit that never died. But I am glad he is doing better. It's a drastic improvement from his behavior from several years ago," _Master Hand continued.

Mario stopped short of speaking. "Wait, what do you mean by that?"

Master Hand went silent for a moment, which for Mario was never a good thing. The last time Master Hand had gone silent, it was when Tabuu nearly destroyed everything in the multiverse. The large appendage turned away from the mustachioed plumber.

"Master Hand?"

_"__The best way to explain this, Mario, is to tell the story. But it is not an easy one to tell. Even I, who has made it a point to never get emotionally involved in things, could not help but pity the dog and his duck companion,"_ Master Hand said.

"If you don't want to tell the story, I completely get it," Mario replied, though part of him was still curious as to why Master Hand of all…things, would feel bad for a dog that was hated by everyone.

_"__No, I must tell you the story. It explains the only reason why I allowed Duck Hunt into this year's Smash Tournament," _Master Hand replied swiftly.

"Well, uh…I guess that's alright," Mario replied.

_"__To tell the story a little better, I must allow you to see it for yourself," _the Hand of Creation said.

All of a sudden, Master Hand snapped his fingers, and the galaxy disappeared, as well as all of Final Destination. The ground swirled around Mario, various colors and scenes blending together in a macabre mix. He could make out a few things in it, though: a lake, a group of angry looking hunters and blood. Lots of blood.

Mario barely got a word out before the rapidly spinning world suddenly stopped, and he found himself in the lake, where several purple and white ducks were peacefully swimming by. The area around him was covered in tall grass, and several trees could be seen in the background.

"Wait a minute," Mario muttered, scratching his head. "This is-"

_"__This is Purple Duck Creek, where the dog and his hunting team would go and hunt for ducks. He was supposed to work with the hunters to find the ducks, sniffing them out, and holding up the dead ducks that the hunters killed."_

A gunshot fired, sending the ducks next to Mario squawking into the air. Several more followed after that, but whoever was shooting was a terrible shot. The bullets crashed into the grass, or into trees, blowing off branches and leaves with each shot.

At last, the firefight stopped. A few curses came from somewhere behind Mario, and he turned to see a hunter dressed in camouflage and having leaves sticking out of his hat. A few more hunters, dressed in similar outfits, came out of the brush behind them.

"Dagnabit!" one hunter yelled, and threw his hat on the ground in anger. "We missed 'em again!"

"We would've gotten it sooner if your dumb dog actually bothered to search for the ducks in the water, rather than leading us all the way around." Another hunter, wearing a bright orange jacket, turned to the one in the camo jacket. "By the way, where is he?"

As if on cue, there was a rustle of grass, and a large brown dog appeared out of the bushes. His mouth was pulled up into a leering grin as he let out a chuckle, which reminded Mario of a gremlin. It made his skin crawl.

"One of these days, I'm going to shoot that dog," the hatless hunter declared. His voice was hot with anger. "You just watch, Jim. The next time he laughs, he's dead."

The camo-jacket hunter, whom Mario gathered to be Jim, turned towards him with a sympathetic expression. "Now, Paul, there's no need to be like that. Everyone has a friend who tries to see the humor in the situation. If I recall, you laughed at me the first few times I failed to hit anything," he said.

"At least I came around to support you. That dog doesn't give a rat's-"

"Paul, watch your language." The man with the orange jacket, dark brown hair and mean looking eyes stepped in, looking down at Paul. "I think you should lay off."

"There's nothing wrong with stating the truth, right?" Paul turned and stomped off. "Useless, miserable cur…"

"Come on," Jim sighed. He seemed to be getting tired of the conversation. "Let's go home and see what else we can cook for dinner."

With that the group of hunters left the marsh, some of them still muttering curses at the dog. But Mario soon started hearing more voices, ones that were even angrier and had no control over their tongue like Paul did.

_Oh, I'll do more than just shoot him. I'll shoot him, then burn him, then bury him a hundred feet in the ground, and then burn the ground he's buried on._

_You little *$%^! Do something USEFUL for once instead of LAUGHING at me!_

_#$ ^# you, who's supposed to be 'man's best friend'. You make Scrappy-Doo look like a #$%*^#& angel!_

"Wha…what was that?" Mario moaned, scratching his head.

_"__What you just heard in your head, Mario, is some of the things people have said about the dog for years. Many of them have attempted to shoot the dog on their trips, but he is quite an escapist."_

"Mama mia…some of those people could use a bar of soap in the mouth…"

_"__You're not exactly squeaky clean, either, Mario." _Master Hand's voice sounded amused.

"Anyway," Mario replied, "what's the whole deal with these hunters and the dog?"

_"__This dog was owned by a hunter named Jim. He used to be quite a mischievous but joyful animal, and did his job as a hunting dog well. He messed up here and there, and he did have the habit of laughing at Jim and his team if he missed a target, but for the most part, he was mostly harmless."_ Master Hand paused. _ "But that was before Jim's friends began to persuade Jim to 'condition' him. And by condition, I mean abuse. They said that it would help the dog grow into a fierce hunting dog, and that this would get him out of the habit of taunting. So, that's what Jim did. He abused the poor dog, and neglected him. He would continually tell him that he was useless, that he had no talent and that he was a mistake."_

"A _mistake_?!"

_"__Yes. They called him a mistake."_

If it weren't for the fact that this were only a memory, Mario would gone over to the hunters and beat them senseless. There was nothing that angered Mario more than a person calling someone else a "mistake", as it gave him very bad memories growing up as a child. Once, he'd overheard Wolf calling his little brother that, and Luigi and Fox barely stopped him from beating the vulpine to a pulp.

He probably wouldn't have won, anyway, but still...

_"__It wasn't just Jim who did it. His friends actively joined in, often doing crueler things than what Jim did," _Master Hand continued. _"Sometime later, Jim quit his abuse, and wouldn't go back to it no matter what his friends said. His friends took up the mantle instead. During their frequent duck hunts, they made no secret that they only saw the dog as a tool for finding the ducks. A rather useless one at that."_

"But…but what happened for him to start taunting everyone?"

_"__Despite what the dog had been through, he remained optimistic. He was desperate to be accepted by both Jim and his friends. So, he decided to take a different approach. Rather than succumbing to the abuse, he decided to take the mischievous aspect of his personality and make his permanent one. There were many occasions where he deliberately led the hunters off course and played around. Plus, he continued his habit for taunting the hunters. He still had the hunting skills that were built into him, but he put that aside in order to…how shall I say it, put on a show for his team."_

"Wasn't he aware that everyone hated him? Didn't he realize that everyone, including…including many people who played this game, loathed him and wanted him to die?" Mario asked. He thought it was pretty foolish to have the gall to taunt a group of men with fully loaded rifles.

_"__I believe that he did know. But the way he acted during this time, it was very clear that he was just an animal fighting to keep his innocence. He was still fighting to keep it together,"_ Master Hand responded.

"Master Hand, I saw a lot of blood earlier when you were transitioning the scene. What happened to the dog?"

Master Hand again went silent, which was a first for Mario. When he spoke again, the Hand of Creation's voice was shaken and laced with sadness.

_"__If you are squeamish around blood, Mario, I would not suggest watching what happens next."_

The scene in front of Mario once again swirled away, bright blues giving way to oranges, yellows and reds. When the world stopped spinning again, it was sunset at Purple Duck Creek, with everything starting to go dark due to the lack of sunlight.

Angry shouts could be heard all around him. Mario carefully waded through the water, unsure of what he would see next.

When he pushed apart the reeds and grass, he swore his heart nearly seized up in shock.

The hunters had returned to the creek, only this time, they were carrying shotguns and sharpened knives. Some of them were even holding torches. They were all reloading their weapons with many bullets, intent on making sure that their enemy was put to rest.

At first, Mario thought they had tied down a duck and were going to shoot it. But he heard the low whine and knew immediately that it was the dog. The animal was bound and gagged with a white handkerchief, blood trailing down its muzzle and its left eye black and swollen. It looked up at the enraged team with a look that screamed, "Spare me".

As if he knew what it was thinking, Paul stepped forward, scoffed, and spit in the dog's eye. The dog didn't flinch once.

"You don't deserve to be spared, you cur. You deserve this. Do you think that your constant mishaps were amusing? Did you think that you could possibly get us to _like _you?" he spat.

"It'd be a miracle if it did, but it didn't." The hunter in the orange jacket stepped forward, glaring at the animal. "I tried to give you a chance, simply because Jim asked me to. He asked us all not to carry out our anger at you. He probably felt guilty because he realized that he was abusing a poor defenseless animal."

"Well, Jim's not here to save you now, dog. He's out on a very important errand out west. And that leaves us with you." Paul cocked his shotgun. "I told you the next time you laughed, I was going to shoot you. I told you that I'd tie you down, gag you and have everyone shoot you. Seems you didn't get that, what with your thick skull and all."

The group laughed spitefully. Paul turned to the group. "Alright, gentlemen. It's time that we give this dog his just desserts."

Everyone readied their shotguns, their faces turned into mean smiles. "I've been waiting to do this for years," one of the men said, and mean laughter hit the air.

Mario couldn't take it anymore. He leaped out of the woods, and jumped directly in between the dog and the hunters.

"STOP!" he screamed.

"Ready!"

The hunters all cocked their shotguns, some were readying their torches and all were aiming at various vital spots on the dog's body.

"Aim…" Paul said, aiming straight for the dog's head.

"Don't do this!" Mario pleaded. "Think of the consequences!"

_"__They can neither see you nor hear you, Mario." _Master Hand's voice was sad. _"There's nothing you can do. This is a mere memory."_

"FIRE!" Paul called out.

Mario could do nothing as every hunter opened fire on the dog. Bullets went right through Mario's body as though he were made out of water. A series of painful thuds, followed by a painful, high pitched yelp sounded behind him. Mario watched, horrified, as the shots sent the dog flying into the air. He soon crashed into a bush, rolling off of it and into the dirt. The hunters continued to shoot, some of them putting holes in the ground and blades of grass. Most of them, though, hit their target head on.

As quickly as the shooting had started, it was over. Everyone lowered their guns to reload. Glaring at the dog with a hateful stare, Paul tossed away his shotgun and turned to the three hunters holding torches. "Throw the torches at him," he ordered.

One of the hunters looked at Paul worriedly. "D-Do you think that's such a good idea? He was helpless," he said.

"Do it, or I'll burn you with it," Paul growled.

"I-I don't know 'bout this, Paul," said another. He looked down at the animal sorrowfully. "This goes above 'n beyond revenge."

"If you don't do it, I'll do it myself!" Paul yelled. "If I do it, this entire lake is going to go up with it!"

"But-"

"Do it NOW!" Paul's scream brooked no further argument.

With uneasy looks on their faces, the three hunters prepared to toss the torches at the unmoving dog. Mario gagged when he saw the bullet holes and the pool of blood that was pouring out of the spot in the bushes. Even though it was a memory, the air was filled with the iron scent of blood. It took all he had in him to not heave out his breakfast on the floor.

He was just beginning to believe the dog was done for when a chorus of loud, deafening squawks filled the air. The hunters stopped and looked up to see a large flock of ducks diving towards them, and they were rapidly gaining speed. From what Mario could see, they also looked angry, as if the group had just murdered a dear friend.

The hunters remained there, frozen, until the ducks were within range. By the time they reacted and started to attack them, it was too little, too late.

Knives, flames, bullets and feathers flew as the hunters battled with the angry flock of birds. Most of them were on the ground screaming as the ducks were pecking them repeatedly in the head, their guns knocked away from them. The other hunters were throwing their knives and torches, while some were shooting like no tomorrow, setting the creek aflame and knocking birds out of the sky. Some ducks retreated, but the ones that hadn't succumbed to the knives, bullets and torches continued attacking their targets.

Most of the ducks had ganged up on Paul, Mario noticed, as he had been the one who started the attack. The angry hunter was swing his knife erratically, stabbing several of them, but it was no use. For every one he killed, three more took their place. Eventually, his knife was knocked away from him in the struggle. He screamed as the ducks bit and pecked at his face and head.

After a few more seconds of this agony, Paul screamed, "Run! We're dead if we stay out here any longer!"

"But what about-"

"Leave him! He's good as dead anyway!" Paul shouted. "Let's get out of here!"

The group needed no second bidding. They dropped their weapons and ran, their pained screams echoing throughout the creek. The ducks, satisfied that they had made their point, flew away. Some of the ducks, unfortunately, didn't make it, as the fire had more or less consumed them.

Mario watched the ducks on the ground, some with scorched wings, others with knives or bullets embedded in their chests, and others burned to a crisp. He was shocked by this sudden violent attack. They were supposed to be targets, not helping their enemy.

He then turned to the dog, who still lay motionless in the bushes, and was still bleeding out on the dirt. He fell to his knees, his hands wringing his overalls as though they were washcloths in a futile attempt to quell his anger. It was no use, and he punched the illusionary ground in anger, leaving a small crater in it. His eyes were starting to fill with tears as well, his mind running over what he'd just seen.

They'd murdered this dog in cold blood. Even if he annoyed them through his attempts to get their approval, he didn't deserve to die for it, and he certainly didn't deserve to die like this. He didn't deserve to bound, gagged and shot at multiple times and then set on fire. Other people would argue that he did, but not Mario.

Mario suddenly had a horrifying realization. What would Jim think when he came back to the creek? The man had stopped hurting the dog out of guilt. He'd been such a doormat, Mario mused, and did everything just because his friends told him to. But he'd appeared to be quite nonchalant, and it was easy to tell that abusing his dog had broken him. If Jim ever found out what his friends had done to his dog, he would probably go on a rampage.

Even now, Mario could hear the same angry voices of the same people that had mocked and cursed the dog earlier. The more he listened to these people, the angrier he became.

_One of these days, I hope Duck Hunt gets remade. Hopefully, they'll include a feature where you can shoot the dog now. That'll be ample payback._

_I sure hope he gets in a fighting game. I'll beat the crap out of him for causing me trauma all these years!_

_I HATE that #&%$!* dog! Whoever said they didn't want to shoot him is a liar!_

"Are you happy NOW, you ungrateful players?! Are you glad to see an innocent animal suffer?!" Mario screamed at the sky, having had enough of the voices in his head. His blue eyes were bright with anger as he let loose the emotions he'd bottled up. "He's been tied down, gagged, shot and almost got burned to a crisp! Does that satisfy your petty need for 'justice' now? Does it?!"

No one answered. Mario simply glared at the ground, only to close his eyes later because of the dead dog his feet. It made his stomach churn. He'd never seen so much blood in his life.

A lone squawk came from behind him, and Mario turned to see a small duckling waddle over to the dog. Mario made to stop it, but that was when he remembered what Master Hand said about the whole place being just a memory. He watched as the duckling nudged the dog's nose, hoping to get a reaction out of him.

After a few nudges, the dog's paw twitched.

Mario almost thought he would have a heart attack when he saw that, but that was when footsteps sounded behind him. He turned and saw Jim bounding towards him. Worry, anger and sadness was present on his face as he came to the dog.

"Oh my gosh," he moaned, and fell to his knees beside Mario, his mouth quivering. When he saw the dog's leg twitching, he fell upon the dog and cried. "T-This…this is all my fault…I should have never listened to them! I should have never done those horrible things to you! It's because of me that you're in this position! I-I'm sorry...I'm so, so sorry..."

That was all Jim got to say before he burst into tears, his sobs echoing throughout the creek. Mario almost felt sorry for the man.

There was a rustling in the grass, and soon Paul came behind him. His face was covered with cuts and gashes from the attack, and he was limping. Blood leaked through his pants. Compared to earlier, he looked much more subdued, and even sorrowful.

"L-Look, Jim…I said I was sorry-"

"Sorry? SORRY?!" Jim exploded, his face turning red as he faced Paul, who jumped back. "How can you say sorry after you nearly _murdered my dog _in cold blood?! You made me abuse him! You made me hate myself for the rest of my life! Because of my stupid inability to grow a spine, I let you walk all over me and my dog! I can't accept your apology, Paul, because you've made no attempt to hide that you hated him and you wanted to kill him! And the minute I leave, you…you and my so-called 'friends' shoot him to the point where he nearly dies!"

"Oh, you should talk, Jim!" Paul snapped. "You sat back and let us abuse your dumb dog! You could've done something about it, but no, you didn't want to upset us. This whole incident is your fault! If you had probably asserted yourself around us, then _maybe _we wouldn't have shot him. If you want to point fingers at anyone, you've got yourself to blame."

Jim's face went cherry red, and Mario thought for a split second that he would pop a vessel. But before he could say another word, there was a blinding flash, and the whole sky went from midnight blue to a blinding white. The winds that whipped around Purple Duck Creek blew the grass back and nearly swept Paul, Jim and Mario off their feet. The former two screamed as something large and black appeared out of the sky. It appeared to be a large disembodied right hand that seemed to be floating in midair. Mario's jaw dropped open, and Jim and Paul fell to their knees, looking terrified.

He hadn't known that Master Hand was involved in this. It must've been beyond bad if the Hand of Creation was making a house call.

_ "__Paul, in this regard, you are correct. You are responsible, Jim. Your unwillingness to be assert yourself around your 'friends' has brought horrible pain upon this dog. He was only spared from being a mere memory by the ducks, including the one that is at his feet. That duck is more of a hero than you will ever be," _Master Hand boomed.

Paul looked utterly shocked, while Jim's only response was to bury his head in his hands, ashamed. Master Hand continued talking, his voice seeming to hold back a certain measure of anger.

_"__But fear not. Duck Hunt's legacy will live on, though not in the way you planned it. Mark my words, this world shall be remembered with a tinged, almost angry point of view, due to your negligence. Your dog will not receive the respect he deserves, Jim, until I say it is time for him to earn it." _There was a pause, as though the Hand of Creation expected Jim to protest. When the man didn't say anything, Master Hand continued with,_ "As for now, your dog needs serious medical attention. The guilt of having deserted your dog will be your punishment, Jim; it will eat you alive. And as for you, Paul, I would give you a punishment, but I believe the ducks have taken care of that for me. __Both of you, it seems, are getting your just desserts."_

Before either man could speak, Master Hand disappeared into the white void in a matter of seconds. There was a loud noise resembling air being let out of a balloon, and the white void began to shrink into the sky, until eventually, there was only a pinprick of it left. It twinkled in the distance, disappearing into the night sky, which already had millions of stars decorating it. Crickets and frogs filled the void that Master Hand had created.

Jim wasted no time in scooping the dog up and standing. Even from where Mario was standing, he could see tears stinging the hunter's eyes. He turned to leave, but just then the duckling who'd stayed with the dog pulled at his pant leg with its beak. It looked up at him angrily, and it looked ready to attack him as well.

Jim sighed, running a hand through his thinning hair. "Sorry for causing you all to react that way," he answered. "But thank you. Without your help, he would've died."

The duck didn't seem too impressed with his apology, but Jim couldn't find anything else to really say. He started walking back towards his house, pushing angrily past Paul, who attempted to start up a conversation.

"Don't you _dare_ come near me, Paul. After what you did tonight, you're not worth it," he growled.

Those words actually made Paul pause, his face contorting into a look of utter rage, before he let loose another cuss word, and left, kicking rocks out of his path.

Mario stood up from his place on the ground, watching as pet and master came to the house. Angry shouts filled the air as Jim and his friends argued with each other.

"Well, it's about time he grew a spine," he remarked.

_"__That incident marked the end of Duck Hunt. The game faded away as more well-known games eclipsed it in popularity. True to my word, Duck Hunt became remembered for the dog's annoying taunt more than anything else. Both Paul and Jim became hated by nearly everybody they knew: Jim, for having the idiocy to follow his friends when they were doing something so cruel, and Paul for said cruelty," _Master Hand explained.

"What exactly happened for him to take up a duck as his fighting partner? I mean, he is a hunting dog, right?" Mario asked. "Ducks are supposed to be targets in this game. I'm surprised that the ducks came to his rescue."

_"That is true__, but you cannot forget that the dog was seriously injured from that shootout, Mario. The duck that is now his fighting partner saved his life as a duckling. If it weren't for her, the Duck Hunt Dog would have surely died. Her parents, who had been killed by the hunters, had been friends of the dog. His kindness towards the ducks was another thing that the hunters hoped to beat out of him; in a strange twist, it was his kindness that saved his life."_

"But...how did he survive having that many bullets being put into his body?" Mario asked, watching as Jim threw all of his friends out of his house. Most of them stormed off angrily, while some stood looking quite remorseful for what happened, before they left.

_"It is by his extreme will and determination that he is still alive. He was still alive when I came to him, but barely holding on. He must have heard my voice, and already made up his mind to live to see when he would receive the love and acceptance he craved. He was that determined, Mario." _

"What happened to him after the shootout?"

_ "He underwent extensive therapy to recover from his injuries, but he also had a drastic change in mood during the experience."_

The scene around Mario changed to the dog lying in his bed, bandaged to the point where he looked like a living mummy. His eyes, which were the only thing that weren't covered up, were fixed on the floor, their dark blue nearly black with negativity. The small duckling and Jim sat by his side, the duckling hanging its head in sorrow and leaning on the dog's paw in a comforting gesture, and Jim sitting with tears running down his cheeks.

_"__The full realization that the hunters never cared about him once sunk in during that period. They had almost killed him, but they had fully killed his spirit. He also began to resent his owner for taking up his friends' advice to abuse and abandon him. It filled him with so much sadness, he left his home not long after his full recovery," _Master Hand said. His voice had taken on a definite note of sorrow. _"N__othing Jim did could sway him, and the duckling traveled with him. He wandered around for years, hoping to be accepted by anybody who actually cared. But everywhere he was mentioned, it was always with scathing hate. People were always shooting at him wherever he went. So he's been wandering for years and years, sad, lost and yearning for what everyone yearned for: acceptance."_

The scene in front of the burning creek melted away, and it soon showed the dog marching through the rain, his head hanging low and the duck on its back. The duck was about the same size as the dog's head, and its head was tinging a light purple, and purple feathers were starting to show. Both animals had a sorrowful, downcast expression on their faces, giving little mind to the rain that soaked through their fur and feathers, or the people hissed and threw things at them, which more or less bounced off them.

When one can hit the two, it exploded, sending both animals into a ditch. Mud flew everywhere as they crashed head over heels into it. Mean laughter hit the air, and a group of teenagers appeared, all of them holding a various array of cans. They threw them into the ditch, causing mud to shoot into the air like a geyser. The dog flipped over and over like a rag doll, letting out a high pitched yelp as he skidded to a stop near the edge of a drop.

Mario almost went up there to handle those kids, but the duck took care of it for him. Shooting out of the mud like a rocket, the angry bird charged upwards , squawking angrily at the kids before diving in for the attack. Their mean laughs became horrified screams as the duck started to peck one of the kids, a boy who looked to be no older than 16, in the head. Two girls reached over and tried to pull the duck back, but they succeeded in only crashing into the ground.

It would be several moments before the duck was removed from the teenaged boy. She was thrown down into a large puddle of mud at least a few feet away from the dog. The teenagers ran off, but not before the girl called out, "I hope you two get beat up- no, forget it! I hope someone kills you!"

Once they were gone, the duck went over to the dog, nudging his face as she had done all those years ago. The dog stumbled to his feet rather uneasily. He groaned as he looked at himself. He was covered with various burns and bruises, and mud covered his whole body as well as the duck's. The dog attempted to walk on, but the wounds in his forelegs made walking too much for him. With a low moan, he once again fell into the mud. The duck, who had climbed onto his back, squawked at him, becoming even more distraught as the dog closed his eyes.

Mario had to stifle tears. "So even after all this time...they were still attacked?"

_"Unfortunately, yes. It is truly sad when one sees how cruel humanity can be," _Master Hand remarked. _"But thankfully, human kindness far outweighs that of cruelty._"

"But…what led you to put him into this years' Smash Brothers tournament?" Mario asked.

_"__It started during the creation of the tournament. The Ice Climbers, unfortunately, were unable to make the journey, and many were wondering who would replace them. I was unable to find any other tag teams that would best represent the history of the multiverse. I almost gave up, until I remembered the dog and his duckling partner. When I returned to the world of Duck Hunt, I found something rather amusing and unique as well."_

The scene once more shifted, and now Mario found himself in the middle of an arid environment, one with saloons and other rundown buildings. A few tumbleweeds rolled across the sandy floor as a dry wind blew past. In front of him was a large dummy, decorated with only two black dots for eyes and a squiggly line for a mouth.

"Alright, boys. GET 'IM!" someone shouted, and there were the sounds of bullets loading. Mario then noticed that in front of the dummy were a group of frontiersmen, all holding revolvers and aiming at the dummy.

Behind him, there were also the sounds of people loading guns, and Mario turned to see a group of policemen, all of them wearing sunglasses and pistols of their own.

A flock of ducks appeared out of nowhere, slamming into the dummy and launching it into the air. It flew upwards and crashed into the ground with a thud.

Gunfire quickly erupted on the field, and entourage upon entourage of bullets launched forth and embedded themselves in the dummy. Several bullets launched the dummy into the air, while a flock of ducks took to the sky erratically. Mario could swear that he even heard some sort of ethereal choir in the midst of the noise.

And then, he heard the infamous chuckle from the sidelines. He turned to see the hunting dog standing there, his maw turned upwards in the leering grin that he'd become known for.

At last, the shootout was over, and Mario watched as the smoke cleared. The dummy, who was obviously supposed to be an opponent, looked like Swiss cheese. Bullet holes riddled every part of the "body", and smoke could be seen trailing out of the holes.

Beside him, the dog trotted over to the gunmen behind Mario, looking very pleased with the result. It was then that Mario noticed that there was a duck sitting on the dog's back. Mario noticed that the duck wasn't a little duckling anymore. This duck was a full grown drake, with a brilliant purple head and dark purple and white feathers.

The policeman shook hands with the dog.

"Well, now, I think that should definitely work for that tournament that you're going to enter," the policeman said. "Just don't overdo it, alright? Everyone, including a dog and his pet duck, needs a break."

The pair nodded. Just then, the frontiersman came over. He was a man with a black beard, wore a cowboy hat, a red handkerchief around his neck and wearing a white long sleeve shirt with a black vest, blue jeans and brown cowboy boots.

"You sure that people will remember us? I mean, nobody's really spoken of us for ages," the man said.

"Don't worry," the policeman said. "This tournament, from what the letter said, is going to attract a whole new generation of fighters. We'll be another representation of Nintendo's history."

The frontiersman shrugged. "Hey, better to appear in one part of the tournament than not at all," he said. "It feels good to be back into action again after so long."

"By the tournament, you mean Super Smash Brothers, right?" Mario asked.

_"__Correct. After the incident you just saw, the two were taken in by a group of frontiersmen. They nursed them back to health, and then started to teach them how to fight. Majority of their moves are based off of guns and explosives,"_Master Hand explained._ "I had invited the Duck Hunt Duo to come to the tournament this time around, feeling that they may add a little more spice to the competition. Of course, many felt that his announcement was uncalled for and unneeded, as they felt that Mewtwo deserved to take his place, or that he was replacing the Ice Climbers. Mostly though, he has received some positive reception, though I know for sure that most who hated him are ready for payback. However, I knew it was time for me to make good on my word. It seems that after all those years of suffering, the dog is finally getting the acceptance and love he deserves."_

Of course, that wasn't going to change, Mario thought, watching the dog happily trot away. It was a completely different change in mood from the scene he'd seen prior to this. Then again, being in Super Smash Brothers did change your life. He should know. He'd been coming here four times, forging friendships and rivalries, and on one occasion saving the universe from being destroyed.

The dog wasn't perfect, Mario knew. If everyone was perfect, there wouldn't be wars or constant conflict. The dog was mischievous. And he made several mistakes here and there. But to outright _call_ him a 'mistake'…it was like saying that he had no real purpose in the world. From Mario's point of view, nobody deserved to be told that they were a mistake, no matter what their circumstances were.

The scene before Mario shimmered, and it wasn't long before he and Master Hand were back in the Final Destination. The large white appendage appeared from the shadows, flexing his fingers.

_"__So, I take it you understand now, Mario?" _he asked.

"Yeah. I, uh…I guess I owe him an apology. I wasn't very nice to him when I first met him either. It kind of dampened his mood on his first day," he said. He chuckled. "I guess I learned my lesson to not believe everything you hear."

_"__Indeed you have. Now, how about you go and attempt to start over? I have a feeling that you two will become the best of friends."_

"Thanks for clearing things up for me, Master Hand," Mario replied, starting to walk towards the white door that led out of Master Hand's office. "I'll be sure to tell the other competitors to do the same thing as well."

_"__That's something I like to hear,"_ Master Hand replied. _"Now, then, off you go. I do have some very important work to do after all."_

Mario nodded, and walked out the door, finding himself in the familiar hallway of the Smash Mansion. He was just starting to turn down the hall when he heard a loud quack behind him. Standing right there were the two animals he was just going to see.

"Ah, I was just coming to look for you," Mario said.

The dog tilted his head slightly to the right, seemingly confused. The duck's eyes narrowed and it gave Mario a quick once-over.

"Master Hand told me everything. And I just wanted to say, on behalf of everyone in Smash Mansion, that I'm sorry. I should have never mistreated you, even when I barely knew anything about you except from what I heard." Mario reached down and gave the dog a pet on the head. "But know this; no matter what anybody else says, you'll always be part of the Smash Brothers Tournament. It'll take some time, but soon you'll get the acceptance you deserve. And you are most certainly not a mistake."

Both the dog and the duck brightened at this, the dog wagging his tail excitedly. In the span of a second, Mario found himself on the floor getting his face licked off. The plumber laughed heartily, gently pushing the dog back before he practically licked off his mustache.

"Okay, okay!" he cried, wiping some of the slobber off of him. "I guess that means you forgive me, right?"

The duo nodded happily. Mario got up and pet both animals on the head. The dog thumped his tail excitedly on the floor, while the duck smiled contently.

"Alrighty, then. Let's go and talk to the other Smashers, huh?" he said.

With that, the three walked down the hall to the meeting room. The dog trotted along with a joyful gait, attentively listening to Mario as they walked along. The duck bounced along on his back, just as happy.

Sure, there would be people who would beat them, taunt them or attempt to mentally abuse them as they had years ago.

But as they learned over the years, one has to go through a lot to finally get the acceptance and respect they so desperately crave.

And as the doors to the great meeting room swung open, the duo couldn't help but feel that maybe, just maybe, they'd finally get what they'd been waiting for.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Well, this took me forever to finish.<em>**

**_My first reaction to the Duck Hunt Dog when I first heard they were in Super Smash was: Wow, they replaced the Ice Climbers for a dog that people hate more than Scrappy Doo? Really? My reaction changed later, however, when I first saw their gameplay, learned about what games they came from, learning about what happened to the Ice Climbers, and seeing their design. He went from being the Scrappy of video games to an adorable dog for me. I am so going to play him in Super Smash Brothers for Wii U._**

**_Of course, there are people who still hate this dog's guts, and wish that the dog would come back so they could shoot him. Well, I believe that in the right hands, certain characters that were once annoying can actually be tolerable or even gain fans. This story came about with a simple question: "Why would the Duck Hunt Duo be in Super Smash Brothers?" The result: the tale of a very broken animal who just wanted to be accepted and loved by the hunting team, his owner and various gamers worldwide. I decided to give this dog the personality of a mischievous, somewhat clumsy but good-natured and all around laidback animal who just wants to be loved in return. It wasn't easy to write the scene with the hunters gagging the dog and shooting him, since I don't like that sort of thing.  
><em>**

**_The hunters were supposed to represent the players, aka the people who first experienced Duck Hunt Dog's laugh. Many have wanted to shoot him or do even worse. So, I gave the "players" the opportunity to do just that. They may have gone a bit overboard, however._**

**_Master Hand was kind of fun to write in this. He always strikes me as the creator in the Nintendo/Smash universe, and I figured he would oversee everything going on. And I had fun explaining the origin of Duck Hunt Duo's Final Smash (which is already pretty awesome anyway), where they team up with the gang from Hogan's Alley and the gang of Wild Gunmen to fight. Mario was also fun to write. I see him as the guy who's been chosen as the leader of the Smashers by the Smashers, and he's the one who's got a somewhat personal friendship with Master Hand. Writing his reactions was kind of hard to do, as he's quite stoic in Smash, though not as much as Link, though. Link is, like, emotionless incarnate._**

**_I was considering doing a follow-up chapter to this, focusing on R.O.B. and why he got in Smash. What do you think? Should I go for it?_**

**_Well, that's all I've got to say for now. I hope you enjoyed my first ever Smash Brothers fic!_**

**_-God Bless, iheartgod175_**


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